MikroTik License Upgrade — RouterOS Level 4, 5 and 6 Keys

Is a license level upgrade the same as a RouterOS software update?

No, and they are easy to confuse. Updating RouterOS installs a newer software version and costs nothing. Raising the license level changes what the router is permitted to do — how many PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP or OpenVPN tunnels it will carry, how many HotSpot users it will serve — and that is a purchase. MikroTik states that its licenses never expire and include unlimited software upgrades, so the free part is already yours: what you are buying when you upgrade a license level is capacity, not a newer version. If you only want the feature-by-feature picture, we keep a longer write-up of RouterOS license levels explained.

How do I find my MikroTik Software ID?

Open WinBox or WebFig, go to System → License, and read the Software ID field. If you prefer the terminal, /system/license/print prints the same information. MikroTik's own instruction is to use the Software ID and serial number found under the /system/license menu in RouterOS. The same screen shows the level the router is running today, so you can answer "do I actually need to buy anything?" before you contact anyone.

Which identifier applies depends on what the router is. MikroTik hardware (RouterBOARD) and x86 installations use a Software ID. Cloud Hosted Router uses a System ID. On x86, MikroTik documents that the Software ID is bound to the storage device — NAND, SSD, HDD or NVMe — through its MBR, which is why re-imaging that disk with the wrong tool is dangerous. That one string is the only thing HI-GAIN needs in order to tell you which key applies to your router.

How does a RouterOS license level upgrade actually work?

Nothing edits the key you already have. You buy a new, higher-level key generated against the same Software ID, and it replaces the old one. MikroTik puts it plainly: "If you need to upgrade the device license level, you must purchase a higher-level license either as a Prepaid key or directly as a RouterOS license tied to the device Software ID."

A Prepaid key is MikroTik's term for a licence bought in advance and not yet attached to any device: MikroTik describes it as a licence "purchased in advance" that "allows you to acquire a license without immediately assigning it to a specific device", converted into a device licence later by supplying the Software ID. The other route is the direct one — the key is generated against your Software ID at the moment of purchase. Either way the router ends up with a key tied to that one Software ID.

Readers who know MikroTik's documentation will notice an apparent contradiction on the same page, so it is worth settling here. MikroTik also writes that its hardware "includes an embedded license that is permanently tied to the device" and that this license "cannot be transferred to another system under any circumstances." That sentence answers a different question: it is about moving a license from one router to another, which you cannot do. It is not about the level. The level on a RouterBOARD can be raised, by buying a higher-level key issued against that same Software ID.

There is also no discounted step between levels. MikroTik's x86 licensing page states: "To upgrade the x86 license level, you must purchase the desired license key at full price." A Level 4 to Level 5 move is priced as a Level 5 key, not as the difference between the two.

1. Read the Software ID under System → License, or with /system/license/print.
2. Send it to HI-GAIN on WhatsApp or by phone, and say which level you need.
3. Receive the key for your router. HI-GAIN's turnaround is the same day.
4. Paste it in WinBox under System → License → Paste Key, or into the terminal.
5. Reboot the router. MikroTik requires a reboot for the license to take effect.
6. Open System → License again and confirm the new level is showing.

Which RouterOS license level do you actually need?

Pick the lowest level that clears the limit you are hitting. The table below lists the numbers MikroTik publishes for each level, so you can match the level to the job before you buy anything.

Every figure above is MikroTik's, read from MikroTik's RouterOS hardware licensing page on 4 September 2026. MikroTik's own caveat matters as much as the numbers: "If a feature is not listed, it is not restricted by the license."

Read practically, that gives four common upgrade triggers. More than 200 PPPoE, PPTP or L2TP tunnels needs Level 5 (500) or Level 6 (unlimited). More than 200 OpenVPN tunnels needs Level 5, where OVPN becomes unlimited. A HotSpot for more than 200 users needs Level 5; for more than 500 users, Level 6. More than 20 User Manager sessions needs Level 5 (50) or Level 6 (unlimited). If none of those describe your network, your current level is very likely fine. For the wider feature picture, see the full RouterOS license level comparison, and for the hardware itself, MikroTik routers and MikroTik equipment in Lebanon.

What about CHR licenses on a server?

Cloud Hosted Router is a different product, not a different level. It runs RouterOS on a virtual machine, it is limited by upload speed per interface rather than by session counts, and it is identified by a System ID rather than a Software ID. Everything in this section is MikroTik's own published CHR policy, quoted so you can plan around it; CHR licences are bought from MikroTik.

Tiers and speed limits from MikroTik's CHR licensing page, read on 4 September 2026.

CHR is also the one place where an upgrade path exists. RouterBOARD and x86 have no discounted level-to-level route, but MikroTik does publish paid CHR upgrades — P1 to P10, P1 to P-Unlimited and P10 to P-Unlimited — each bought at full price. MikroTik adds that "when an upgrade is purchased at full price, the previous license becomes available again in your MikroTik account." Two limits catch people out: lower-tier licenses cannot be combined into a higher one, and "you cannot upgrade the Trial license level on the same instance."

What happens if a CHR cannot reach MikroTik's account server?

It stops behaving like a licensed router. This is the quiet one nobody writes down, and it is the difference between a CHR that keeps working and one that does not. MikroTik documents that "a running CHR instance periodically connects to the MikroTik account server to renew its license status." If it cannot renew before the deadline it behaves as though the trial had expired, and upgrading RouterOS to newer versions is no longer allowed.

The practical consequence: a CHR sitting on an air-gapped or tightly firewalled network needs that outbound path to MikroTik's account server left open, or it will quietly fall back to trial behaviour with a paid licence on it. Check that before you build the network around it, not after. Source: MikroTik's CHR licensing page, read 4 September 2026.

What happens if the storage fails or the license is lost?

The answer splits in two, and the halves are opposite, so check which one you are in.

MikroTik hardware (RouterBOARD). The license is embedded and permanently tied to the device; MikroTik says it "cannot be transferred to another system under any circumstances." Asked whether a replacement key can be issued, MikroTik answers: "No, Replacement keys are available for x86 only." In MikroTik's model, then, a dead RouterBOARD is a hardware matter, not something a new key can fix.

x86 installations. Here the Software ID is bound to the storage device's MBR, so the license lives on that disk. MikroTik can issue a replacement key for a failed drive, notes that "only one replacement key can be issued per original key", and may require proof that the original drive failed. What does not destroy the license: reinstalling with official MikroTik tools such as Netinstall. What does: "formatting or re-imaging the storage device by using non-MikroTik tools (such as dd or fdisk) destroys your license", and so does installing a different operating system over it. Read the detail on MikroTik's x86 licensing page before you touch that disk.

Are these official MikroTik keys?

Yes. HI-GAIN is an authorized MikroTik distributor and supplies official MikroTik license keys, generated against your own device's Software ID. The practical consequence is not a slogan but a documented one: a key issued against your device's own Software ID is the key the router keeps, because on x86 that Software ID is bound to the storage MBR and reinstalling with Netinstall does not remove the license. A key that was never tied to your device has nothing to hold on to.

One difference you should know about before you buy from anyone but MikroTik itself. MikroTik documents that "the keys that you purchase from other vendors and resellers are not in your account. Your mikrotik.com account only contains licenses purchased from MikroTik directly." So a key bought from a distributor works exactly the same way in the router — you paste it under System → License and reboot — but it will not be listed inside your mikrotik.com account. MikroTik's matching instruction is that if you bought the key elsewhere, "you must contact the company who sold you the license". For a key bought from HI-GAIN, that company is HI-GAIN: WhatsApp or call +961 70 525 258. Source: MikroTik's RouterOS license keys documentation, read 4 September 2026.

Where is HI-GAIN, and how do you start?

HI-GAIN has traded in networking equipment since 1990 from Dora, Maguie Elhajj Street, Yerevan Plaza Center, Beirut, Lebanon. This work is not limited to gear bought from us, and it is not limited to Lebanon: send the Software ID from anywhere and the key comes back the same day. Prices start from US$30. Walk-in customers in Beirut are welcome, and you can also browse live availability. For anything else, contact HI-GAIN.

Last updated: 2026-09-04